Today in History: June 8, 1960 – Veteran total in North Dakota tops 72,000

Today in History revisits the Wednesday, June 8, 1960, edition of the Grand Forks Herald and highlights a story of war veteran totals of 72,000 in North Dakota.

More than 72,000 war veterans now reside in North Dakota, Robert Hannah, Grand Forks County veterans service officer, said Tuesday in a report to the board of Commissioners.

Of this total, 43,000 are veterans of World War II and 20,000 are classified as veterans of the Korean conflict.

An additional 3,000 World War II veterans also saw service in Korea, Hannah’s report said.

The figures from the office of Floyd Henderson, state director of Veterans Affairs, reported 9,000 World War I veterans living in North Dakota.

The report classified the remaining 400 as having fought in the Spanish American War, Indian Wars, or as career ex-servicemen who now receive compensation while residing in the state.

Hannah’s report also noted that the patient load at the Veterans Administration Hospital at Fargo reached an all-time high during the month of May. The average daily patient load for the month was 207, he said, and as of May 25, there were 222 patients in the hospital.

Hannah said May was a heavy month for office contacts. He said the majority of the 431 office contacts were persons seeking information on the new pension law and veterans making application for direct loans for home buying in and around Grand Forks. About 70 veterans sought loan information during May, his report showed.

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